1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an oscillation amount adjusting device for an oscillating roller in an inking device of a printing press. More specifically, the invention relates to an oscillation amount adjusting device which can make adjustment by remote and automatic control using a motor while achieving space saving without exerting adverse influence on printing.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an inking device of a printing press, ink in an ink reservoir is sequentially fed to many distribution rollers via ink ductor rollers. In the distribution rollers, the ink is uniformly distributed, and transferred to a printing plate supported on the circumferential surface of a plate cylinder. The above-mentioned many distribution rollers consist of combinations of metal rollers and rubber rollers. Among them, the metal roller is called an oscillating roller, which is designed to swing laterally (in a roller axis direction) under the action of a swing device (oscillation mechanism) while rotating, thereby distributing the ink uniformly.
When rainbow printing is to be performed, or when the machine speed has been changed, it becomes important to adjust the oscillation amount of the oscillating roller. A conventional oscillation amount adjusting device for adjusting the amount of oscillation by remote and automatic control is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-199051 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1). However, this oscillation amount adjusting device has a large-scale drive system composed of a rotating drum, a shaft, a lever, and a link plate, thus requiring a large space, posing the problem that its installation may be difficult in view of roller arrangement and its relation with other devices.
Furthermore, the oscillation amount adjusting device of Patent Document 1 swings a plurality of oscillating rollers in the roller axis direction by interconnecting these rollers by levers. Thus, the plurality of oscillating rollers simultaneously stop at the position of the swing end, presenting the problem that the thickness of an ink film tends to be uneven. Also, the plurality of oscillating rollers simultaneously stop and begin to move in the reverse direction, causing the problem that shock due to load increases to affect printing adversely.
To solve these problems, it is conceivable to adopt an oscillation mechanism designed to produce differences in the phase of each oscillating roller in its swing motion by the grinding motion of a disk, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 1979-3763 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 2).
In adjusting the oscillation amount of the oscillating roller in the oscillation mechanism disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 2, a method as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 1981-6864 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 3) is adopted. As shown in FIG. 16, a cylindrical sleeve 102 having an outer peripheral surface inclined with respect to the axis of an inclined shaft portion 101 of a rotating shaft 100 is rotatably fitted on the inclined shaft portion 101, and shaft ends of a plurality of oscillating rollers 104a, 104b. . . are rotatably supported on a disk 103 rotatably supported by the sleeve 102.
Thus, when the rotating shaft 100 is rotated in a manner interlocked with a drive motor or the like of a printing press, the inclined shaft portion 101 of the rotating shaft 100, which has an inclined axis, makes an oscillatory motion. The disk 103, which is journaled about the inclined shaft portion 101 via the sleeve 102, makes a so-called grinding motion. During this process, the oscillating rollers 104a, 104b. . . swing in the axial direction, with their phases being sequentially shifted in accordance with the order of arrangement of the oscillating rollers 104a, 104b . . . . 
In adjusting the amount of oscillation of the oscillating rollers 104a, 104b. . . , driving of the printing press is once shut down. Then, an operator loosens an adjusting bolt 105 manually, inserts a tool into a hole 102a of the sleeve 102 to rotate the sleeve 102 by a predetermined angle, and then tightens the adjusting bolt 105 to lock the sleeve 102 to the rotating shaft 100 again.
In the oscillation amount adjusting device disclosed in the aforementioned Patent Document 3, the operator has to rotate the sleeve 102 manually while moving all of the oscillating rollers 104a, 104b. . . remaining stopped. Thus, a burden is imposed on the operator. Moreover, the accuracy of adjustment depends on the technical ability of the individual operator. Hence, if, after adjustment, the printing press is driven and the adjustment is found to be unsuccessful, the printing press must be shut down and adjusted again, thus posing the problem of taking time.